The History of the Cleveland Browns (1946-1963)

The AAFC

In 1942 Paul Brown coached the Ohio State Buckeyes to their first National Championship title. Four years later he founded the Cleveland Browns. In 1946 the Browns joined with seven other teams (San Francisco 49ers, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers, Buffalo Bisons, Chicago Rockets, Los Angeles Dons, Miami Seahawks) and formed the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) professional league. Coach Brown is considered to be one of the greatest innovators in football history. According to bleacherreport.com his innovations included:

• Brown was the first head coach to give his prospective players intelligence tests.
• Brown was the first to integrate professional football, prior to Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson integrating baseball.
In 1946, Brown put fullback Marion Motley and defensive lineman Bill Willis on his squad, and both have busts in the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
• Brown was the first coach to have his players wear facemasks.
• Brown was the first to have his players undergo classroom instruction on the professional level.
• Brown was also the first professional football head coach to use film study.
• What we now know as the "practice squad" in the NFL was begun by Brown and McBride, who owned a cab company, and thus it was called the "taxi squad." Players who did not make the final roster cut, but might be able to fill in in the case of injury, drove cabs for McBride. Generations later, Clevelanders still call the practice squad the "taxi squad."
• And finally, the commonplace radio helmet for quarterbacks was experimented with by Brown in the preseason of 1956. In the days of vacuum tubes and shortwave, it did not work too well and Brown scrapped it, but nonetheless, the NFL banned it. No sense in giving Brown another advantage.

The combination of Paul Brown's coaching and the play of future NFL Hall of Fame players Otto Graham, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, Bill Willis, and Frank Gatski allowed the Browns to win all four AAFC championships from 1946-1949.

The NFL

The NFL (as they did with the AFL two decades later) looked down on the AAFC. However, in 1950 they agreed to absorb three teams from the AAFC. These teams were the Cleveland Browns, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Baltimore Colts (who were a later addition to the AAFC). The NFL scheduled the first game of the year on a Saturday night between the Cleveland Browns and the defending 1949 NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Browns won in overwhelming fashion 35-10. They went 10-2 during the season and after beating the New York Giants in a playoff game they played the Los Angeles Rams in the title game to decide the NFL champions of 1950. They beat the Rams 30-28 on a last-second field goal by Lou Groza. From 1950 to 1955 the Browns played in every NFL championship game losing in 1951, 1952, 1953 but winning in 1954 by beating the Detroit Lions 56-10 and the Los Angeles Rams 38-14 in 1955. Today this would be equivalent to playing in six straight Super Bowls with the Browns winning three of them. Including their four AAFC championships the Cleveland Browns played in ten straight championship games and won seven of them. After the 1955 championship game the Browns' Hall of Fame quarterback Otto Graham retired and the Browns' streak of playing in the NFL championship games ended.

Jim Brown

In 1957 the Cleveland Browns drafted Jim Brown, the greatest running back in NFL history and arguably the greatest football player ever. He led the Browns to the 1957 championship game but they lost to the Detroit Lions. In 1958 they played the New York Giants to see who would play in the championship game. The Giants won 10-0 but then went on to lose to the Baltimore Colts in "the Greatest Game Ever Played". In 1961 Art Modell purchased the Cleveland Browns. In the 1962 NFL draft Paul Brown traded Bobby Mitchell to the Washington Redskins in order to get Ernie Davis. Davis had just completed his college career at Syracuse University where he had broken many of Jim Brown's rushing records and won the Heisman trophy. Davis contracted leukemia and never played a down for the Browns. After the 1962 season Modell fired Paul Brown as head coach and replaced him with Brown's assistant coach Blanton Collier. In 1963 Jim Brown rushed for an unbelievable 1,863 yards but the Browns missed the playoffs.

1964

The Regular Season

The 1964 season proved to be the "best of times and the worst of times" for the Cleveland Browns. It was the best of times because they won the 1964 NFL championship. It was the worst of times because they have not won a championship since that season. Before the season started the Browns drafted two players who would help them win the championship. In the first round they drafted wide receiver Paul Warfield of Ohio State with the 11th overall pick. In the eighth round they drafted running back Leroy Kelly of Morgan State with the 110th overall pick. Both of these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Week 1: (September 13, 1964) - The Browns started the season by beating the Washington Redskins and their Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen 27-13 at District of Columbia Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Frank Ryan passed for 112 yards and one touchdown. Gary Collins caught two passes for 34 yards and one touchdown. Ernie Green rushed for 37 yards and one touchdown and caught two passes for 51 yards. Leroy Kelly returned two kickoffs for 33 yards in his first NFL game.

Week 2: (September 20, 1964) - In the second game of the season the Browns tied the St. Louis Cardinals and their quarterback Charey Johnson 33-33 at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 79 yards and one touchdown. Frank Ryan passed for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 63 yards and one touchdown. Gary Collins caught six passes for 105 yards and one touchdown. Lou Groza kicked four field goals from 32, 12, 37, and 25 yards. Leroy Kelly returned three kickoffs for 82 yards. Kelly also rushed the ball for the first time in his NFL career and gained one yard in one attempt.

Week 3: (September 27, 1964) - In the third game of the season the Browns beat the Philadelphia Eagles and their quarterback Norm Snead 28-20 at Philadelphia's Franklin Field. Jim Brown rushed for 104 yards and caught two passes for 53 yards and one touchdown. Frank Ryan passed for 193 yards and three touchdowns. Paul Warfield caught six passes for 97 yards and one touchdown. Gary Collins caught two passes for 29 yards and one touchdown. Ernie Green rushed for 61 yards and one touchdown. Leroy Kelly returned two kickoffs for 50 yards.

Week 4: (October 4, 1964) - In the fourth game of the season the Browns beat the Dallas Cowboys and their quarterback John Roach 26-7 at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 89 yards. Frank Ryan passed for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Paul Warfield caught five passes for 123 yards and one touchdown. Gary Collins caught three passes for 62 yards and one touchdown. Ernie Green rushed for 20 yards and caught five passes for 47 yards and one touchdown. Lou Groza kicked two field goals from 19 and 21 yards. Leroy Kelly returned two kickoffs for 26 yards and one punt for zero yards.

Week 5: (Saturday October 10, 1964) - In the fifth game of the season the Browns lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their Hall of Fame running back John Henry Johnson 23-7 who rushed for 200 yards at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 59 yards. Frank Ryan passed for 167 yards and one touchdown. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 34 yards. Gary Collins caught two passes for 32 yards and one touchdown. Leroy Kelly returned three kickoffs for 90 yards and one punt for one yard.

Week 6: (October 18, 1964) - In the sixth game of the season the Browns beat the Dallas Cowboys and their quarterback Don Meredith 20-16 at the Cotton Bowl. Jim Brown rushed for 188 yards and caught one pass for 9 yards. Frank Ryan passed for 95 yards and one touchdown. Paul Warfield caught two passes for 36 yards. Gary Collins caught three passes for 38 yards. Ernie Green rushed for 13 yards and one touchdown. Lou Groza kicked two field goals from 34 and 30 yards. Defensive Back Bernie Parrish returned a 54 yard interception for a touchdown. Leroy Kelly returned two kickoffs for 32 yards.

Week 7: (October 24, 1964) - In the seventh game of the season the Browns beat the New York Giants and their Hall of Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle 42-20 at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 56 yards. Frank Ryan passed for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Jim Ninowski passed for 52 yards and one touchdown. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 33 yards and one touchdown. Gary Collins caught two passes for 22 yards and one touchdown. Ernie Green rushed for 28 yards. Tight End Johnny Brewer caught four passes for 80 yards and one touchdown. Leroy Kelly returned one kickoff for 45 yards and returned one punt for 68 yards and his first NFL touchdown.

Week 8: (November 1, 1964) - In the eighth game of the season the Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and their Hall of Fame running back John Henry Johnson 30-17 at Pitt Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 149 yards and caught five passes for 37 yards. Frank Ryan passed for 179 yards and one touchdown. Paul Warfield caught two passes for 24 yards. Ernie Green rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Wide Receiver Clifton McNeil caught two passes for 32 yards and one touchdown. Lou Groza kicked three field goals from 36, 22, and 16 yards. Leroy Kelly returned one punt for 19 yards.

Week 9: (November 8, 1964) - In the ninth game of the season the Browns beat the Washington Redskins and their Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen 34-24 at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 121 yards and one touchdown, caught three passes for 28 yards, and passed to Gary Collins for 13 yards and a touchdown. Frank Ryan passed for 162 yards and one touchdown. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 82 yards and one touchdown. Gary Collins caught three passes for 42 yards and one touchdown. Ernie Green rushed for 53 yards and one touchdown. Lou Groza kicked two field goals from 11 and 38 yards. Leroy Kelly returned one punt for 42 yards.

Week 10: (November 15, 1964) - In the tenth game of the season the Browns beat the Detroit Lions and former Cleveland Browns quarterback Milt Plum 37-21 at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns and caught five passes for 47 yards. Frank Ryan passed for 179 yards and one touchdown. Paul Warfield caught five passes for 92 yards and one touchdown. Gary Collins caught two passes for 24 yards. Ernie Green rushed for 57 yards. Lou Groza kicked three field goals from 38, 47, and 36 yards. Defensive Back Walter Beach returned an interception for 65 yards and a touchdown. Leroy Kelly returned two kickoffs for 43 yards and one punt for zero yards.

Week 11: (November 22, 1964) - In the eleventh game of the season the Browns lost to the Green Bay Packers and their Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi 28-21 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 74 yards and one touchdown. Frank Ryan passed for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Paul Warfield caught seven passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Gary Collins caught four passes for 69 yards. Ernie Green rushed for 46 yards. Leroy Kelly returned two kickoffs for 69 yards and one punt for 6 yards.

Week 12: (November 29, 1964) - In the twelfth game of the season the Browns beat the Philadelphia Eagles and their quarterback Norm Snead 38-24 at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 133 yards. Frank Ryan passed for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Paul Warfield caught two passes for 16 yards. Gary Collins caught three passes for 39 yards. Ernie Green rushed for 24 yards. Tight End Johnny Brewer caught five passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Jim Houston returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown. Leroy Kelly had one rushing attempt for 2 yards and returned one kickoff for 36 yards.

Week 13: (December 6, 1964) - In the thirteenth game of the season the Browns lost to the St. Louis Cardinals and their quarterback Charley Johnson 28-19 at Busch Stadium which was formerly called Sportsman's Park. Jim Brown rushed for 59 yards and caught three passes for 31 yards. Frank Ryan passed for 242 yards and one touchdown. Paul Warfield caught six passes for 91 yards. Ernie Green rushed for 17 yards and caught two passes for 60 yards and one touchdown. Tight End Jhnny Brewer caught four passes for 60 yards. Lou Groza kicked four field goals from 22, 39, 17, and 36 yards. Leroy Kelly returned four kickoffs for 76 yards.

Week 14: (Saturday December 12, 1964) - In the final game of the regular season the Browns beat the New York Giants 52-20 at Yankee Stadium. Jim Brown rushed for 99 yards and caught one pass for 8 yards and a touchdown. Frank Ryan passed for 202 yards and five touchdowns. Jim Ninowski passed for 73 yards and one touchdown. Paul Warfield caught five passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. Ernie Green rushed for 26 yards and caught two passes for 26 yards and two touchdowns. Gary Collins caught three passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. Wide Receiver Walter Roberts caught one pass for 24 yards and a touchdown. Leroy Kelly rushed for 9 yards and returned two punts for 35 yards.

The Browns completed the regular season with a record of 10 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie and won the Eastern Conference of the NFL. They finished with the 2nd-ranked offense and the 5th-ranked defense in the 14-team NFL. Frank Ryan completed 174 passes out of 334 attempts and 25 touchdowns and was chosen for the Pro-Bowl team. Jim Brown led the NFL in rushing for the seventh time in his first eight years. He rushed for 1,446 yards (averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 103 yards per game), 7 touchdowns and was chosen for the Pro-Bowl team. Paul Warfield caught 52 passes for 920 yards and 9 touchdowns and was chosen for the Pro-Bowl team. Gary Collins caught 35 passes for 544 yards and 8 touchdowns and punted the ball 48 times for 2016 yards with an average distance of 42 yards. Ernie Green rushed for 491 yards and 6 touchdowns. Lou Groza kicked 22 field goals and 49 extra points scoring a total of 115 points. Leroy Kelly rushed 6 times for 12 yards. He returned 24 kickoffs for 582 yards with a 24.3 yard average. He returned 9 punts for 171 yards with an average of 19 yards per attempt and 1 touchdown. Defensive End Bill Glass, Linebacker Jim Houston, and Defensive Tackle Dick Modzelewski were chosen for the Pro-Bowl team.

The 1964 Baltimore Colts dominated the Western Conference by winning 12 games (after losing their opening game they won 11 games in a row) and losing 2 games. They had the 1st-ranked offense and 1st-ranked defense in the NFL.

The 1964 NFL Championship game would be played between the Baltimore Colts and the Cleveland Browns on December 27, 1964 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Baltimore Colts roster included Hall of Fame players Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Raymond Berry, John Mackey, Jim Parker, Gino Marchetti, and coach Don Shula. The Colts were favored to win the game by 7 points.

1964 NFL Championship Game:Colts vs BrownsDecember 27,1964

After an eight-year drought the Browns were once again Champions of the NFL. With Jim Brown still the best running back in the league, a solid quarterback in Frank Ryan, Pro-Bowl rookie wide receiver Paul Warfield, a great offensive line, special teams star Leroy Kelly, and a stout defense that held the mighty Colts to 0 points the Browns seemed to be on the road to championship success for several years to come. Two days after the championship game the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran an article that declared the future of the Browns to be very bright indeed. In this article sports reporter Charles Heaton wrote, "Some teams have sported to the top in the National Football League only to sink right back into the pack the next season. That happened to the Chicago Bears this year and with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1960. We don't contemplate any such sad fate for the Browns, all still resting on cloud 9 yesterday after that startling upset of the Baltimore Colts and the return of the world championship to Cleveland for the first time since 1955." Mr. Heaton goes on to write that the Browns should get better the next several seasons if Jim Brown doesn't retire. He also insightfully wrote, "Leroy Kelly has a bright future as a running back." Alas, it was not to be. The Browns did play in the NFL title game three out the next five years but never won. The long term future of the Browns did not turn out any better. They played in the 1986, '87, and '89 AFC championship games but lost all three. They haven't been in a championship game since. The 1964 season indeed proved to be the "best of times and the worst of times" for the Cleveland Browns.